Two Thousand Years of Economic Statistics: World Population, GDP, and Ppp. Years 1 to 2014 - Vol. 1

Two Thousand Years of Economic Statistics: World Population, GDP, and Ppp. Years 1 to 2014 - Vol. 1

Synopsis

Who's winning and who's losing? This biennial work provides hard data for all who ponder the shifting sands of power, whether economic, military or demographic, and seek keys to decipher the media news. Going far beyond the major powers and the BRIC countries, this economic statistical work presents historical statistics in nine sections. Volume 1 lists (1) Population by rank, (2) GDP Per Capita by rank, (3) GDP by rank, (4) Growth Rates of Population by rank, (5) Growth Rates of GDP Per Capita by rank, (6) Growth Rates of GDP by rank. Volume 2 (sold separately) covers: (1) Population/Growth Rates of Population by country, (2) GDP Per Capita/Growth Rates of GDP Per Capita by country, and (3) GDP/Growth Rates of GDP by country.

Excerpt

This statistical annual presents historical statistics in three sections: (1) Population by rank, (2) gdp Per Capita by rank, (3) gdp by rank.

The advantage of this yearbook is that it contains data generally not available elsewhere. It gives statistics for two groups of countries within their 2014 borders. First, since year 1950 (for 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2014), it provides population data for all countries of the world (271–272 countries) and gdp and gdp Per Capita for 254 countries, plus forecasts (for 2020, 2030, 2040, 2050, 2060). Second, since year 1000 (for 1000, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1820, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1913, 1920, 1929, and 1938), it provides data for a smaller group of countries (gradually rising from about 140 to about 254 countries). Third, for the first year ad, it provides data for 139 countries.

This yearbook is based on the groundbreaking works of Angus Maddison but it differs from his books in that it gives data up to the most recent year and calculates gdp (gross and per capita) in the values of the most recent year. For the past years I use the World Bank, cia, and Encyclopedia Britannica as primary sources. Where possible the main source of data is the World Bank World Development Indicators Online for the latest year, April update version. But, despite my great debt to these sources, the preponderance of data in the book is not directly cited from them but rather is the result of my calculations. Among other computational techniques I use a new logarithmic interpolation, which takes care of cross-country statistical distortions when calculating in the prices of the most recent year.

Another thing that distinguishes this book is that for every line of data (for every country each year) I note the technique used in obtaining my estimate (i.e., proxy, exponential interpolation, direct estimate with source citation, etc.).

This book has value as an annual because each year data in the prices of the most recent year is different; plus, the logarithmic interpolation used requires recalculation every year based on the new data.

The primary sources for future estimates of population are the idb and Encyclopedia Britannica, and the primary source for future estimates of total gdp at ppp is imf.

This yearbook is a supplement for my other annual, Quality of Life, Balance of Powers, and Nuclear Weapons. While Quality of Life, Balance of Powers, and Nuclear Weapons gives a current snapshot of the world statistics, Two Thousand Years of Economic Statistics gives the population and current price gdp data in a historical perspective.

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